Addicted to Home Design

Monthly Archives: September 2013

I spent a few days last week in Dallas, Texas at the State Fair of Texas. It’s an annual event that draws crowds for the amusement rides, entertainment, fried foods and the auto show (why I was there). I wasn’t able to venture out of downtown, so I thought I’d take a look online to see what kind of beautiful mansions I couldn’t afford in Dallas. It’s been said everything is bigger in Texas and this contemporary estate fits perfectly with that saying.This five bedroom, six bathroom home is on almost a half acre, which seems like a large lot for being so close to the city–it’s only minutes from Downtown Dallas. It’s 6,756 square feet and is listed for $4.95 million.If you’ve read some of my other posts you know I love lots of natural light in a home, and it’s plentiful here. The floating staircase is prominent in this design and can be seen when first entering the home. There is even a glass section in the upper hallway to have a look below. I love the modern design of the wine room here. I wouldn’t call it a wine cellar, since it’s on the main floor. Technically if it’s less than 500 bottles, they call it a wine closet. Since I don’t drink wine, I’d store my Tito’s Vodka in here. It’d be appropriate since it’s made in Texas!

The home has a minimalist design and the listing says this is a Poliform kitchen, which is an Italian luxury modern brand. I love how the lucite stools seem to disappear into the island. CB2 has something similar which I’m sure is much more reasonable than the ones shown here.How many burners are on that cooktop? It looks like seven! From the kitchen we get a peek of the den. Interesting placement of windows on the floor beneath the television. This room is surrounded by windows. I’d love to be in this room during a storm.Crate and Barrel also has a leather chair similar to the one shown here. Not far from the den is the dining room with a gas fireplace. I’d love to have a dining table next to a fireplace. Gorgeous! The home is just as gorgeous on the exterior and we get a good look into the room from this view. It should be no surprise that this home has won awards for its design, according to the listing it has won three ARC awards.The master bedroom and his and her baths are on the first floor. If you’re looking to spice up your bedroom you can find a similar zebra rug at Macy’s or West Elm.If wonder if this is the his or hers bathroom? I’m guessing his.I love the frosted glass garage doors. From here we also get a good look at the glass bridge walkway that connects the home to the game room and additional bedrooms. To take a closer look at this home go to the listing here.

It’s where the Obama family vacations. Since I’ve never had the opportunity to visit, to me it’s always been a mysterious place. So, when we were vacationing in Cape Cod we decided to take the ferry to Martha’s Vineyard for one day. It actually reminded me somewhat of some of the lake communities in Northern Michigan. One big difference is the ocean of course. Another is it seems like every store and restaurant is in an adorable home. This one is Edgartown Books.

I just loved their staircase that led to the youth section of the bookstore!

You don’t have to go far on the island to find The Black Dog merchandise. You know how there is a Starbucks every few blocks in major cities? That is what it is like with The Black Dog on Martha’s Vineyard. Everywhere you look there is an opportunity to purchase a sweatshirt with the iconic black dog. But, I wanted to see the original tavern. Located in Vineyard Harbor, it became the island’s first year round restaurant when it opened in 1971.Of course there are even more opportunities to buy Black Dog stuff when you walk to the tavern. Two quintessential East Coast buildings house The Black Dog retail stores. The tavern was built by Captain Robert Douglas who decided it was time the islanders had a place to eat throughout the year. You can read more about the history here. It’s located right on the beach and has a great view of the harbor.I loved all the cedar shingled buildings on Martha’s Vineyard. But, my favorite part? The clam chowder in a mug. I rarely eat clam chowder. I love it. But, the calories! I ate clam chowder four separate times on vacation and it was awesome!Okay back to the architecture and design! Even the run down buildings had character on Martha’s Vineyard. This one was right next door to the tavern and I thought it was charming.In the marina at Vineyard Haven, right outside the tavern, there was a massive yacht, named Vango. There were rumors around town that it’s Oprah Winfrey’s yacht and she parks it there for the summer. Another tourist asked the guard at the marina and he confirmed that it’s hers.

I can’t say for sure that this is Oprah’s ride. But, whoever owns this yacht has lots of money! It even has a helicopter landing pad. You can see a little of the red helicopter in this picture. Unfortunately we couldn’t get too close. I found a link that shows the layout and interior of this super yacht. You can see it here. I also found a video of the helicopter landing on the yacht a few years back.

I was sad to hear of the passing of novelist and screenwriter Elmore Leonard. He died at home last month in Bloomfield Hills, Michigan, an affluent suburb near Detroit. If you’re not familiar with him, you’re probably familiar with his work. Some of his best known novels include Get Shorty and Out of Sight, just two of the many that were adapted to films. Last week his traditional colonial estate hit the market for $2.399 million.

I actually had the opportunity meet Elmore Leonard a little over ten years ago. At the time I was producing a local new magazine show and we featured the author. A few things stood out. I remember him sharing that he wrote everything the old fashioned way, with a pen and pad of paper. It was only after he was satisfied that he would then turn to the typewriter. His office was staged the way it would look on a typical day. Yellow legal pad, pen, and ashtray.According to the Detroit Free Press, Leonard used the library as the living room, and the living room as his office. The library/living room is painted a bright sunny yellow.Leonard’s kitchen is dated with a curved wall of windows. I’m always confused by those. On one hand, I love how much light they let in. But, it’s just not that attractive.The curved banister on the staircase is fabulous! This home was built in 1940 and has many art deco influences. It has 5 bedrooms, 4 full baths and 3 half baths. According to the Free Press the owner’s suite has five connected rooms in a row “the sleeping room with a balcony, a sitting room for reading, a dressing room, a bathroom, then the room with closets.”The backyard is lovely with a tennis court and a kidney shaped pool. I like the sunroom/kitchen windows from the exterior view.

September is here and that means it’s time to take a look at the most popular posts from August. By far the most popular post last month was this converted church home in Mount Kisco, New York. So many readers agreed that this would be a picturesque setting to call home. To take a look click here.To celebrate 30 years as a brand, Ralph Lauren let Architectural Digest into his many homes, cabins, and his office. Many of the rooms were quintessential Ralph Lauren. Go inside here.Lots of readers clicked through to take a closer look at Jonathan Adler’s Hampton’s hideaway. Who wouldn’t want to get a closer look at this stylish couple at home? Check it out here

And finally, it’s hard to resist a stylish bargain. Target has lots of patterns and styles of occasional chairs. These shown here are great because they are an armchair, yet they don’t take up much space. See more here.

What time is it? Time to take a look at this spectacular clock tower triplex in the DUMBO neighborhood of Brooklyn. In case you were wondering, DUMBO is an acronym for District Under the Manhattan Bridge Overpass. This home is the most expensive condo in Brooklyn. It’s priced to move at $18 million. Sounds funny until you take a look inside and consider this home was listed for $25 million just four years ago. What makes this home truly exceptional is that there are working clocks on four faces of the apartment. Each of the clocks is in its own 14-foot-high round window, offering amazing views! There is also a three-story glass elevator. It’s visible on the right-hand side of the image above.

Here is an exterior shot of the building, the home occupies the top three floors and the terrace at the very top.

There is no need for art in this apartment, the clocks are like their own works for art. Lest you worry about the clocks showing different times, the four clocks are electronically synchronized to show exactly the same time.

Can you even imagine entertaining in this house? It’s breathtaking. The main floor has 16-foot ceilings, and is 3,000 square feet. Overall the home has 3 bedrooms, 3.5 baths and over 6,800 square feet.

Wow! The view from this room shows both the Brooklyn and Manhattan Bridge. I would imagine this is even more beautiful at night.

The kitchen was custom designed by Canova and has white lacquer cabinets, Pietra Cardosa sandstone and stainless steel countertops, and appliances by Gaggenau and Sub-Zero.

This bathroom is a stunner! Every room in this house seems to have great views.The terrace overlooks Manhattan’s Financial District. I’m so glad this place is for sale, otherwise I’d probably never get a peek inside!

To read a 2009 New York Times article about this property go here. To see a video go here. To see the listing go here.

The last week of summer vacation, I was fortunate enough to spend a week on Cape Cod with my family. The place we called home is called The Red Door Cottage in Truro, which is the last town before Provincetown, in the Outer Cape. It was just the right size for two adults and two children, with a small kitchen, living area, two bedrooms, and one bath.

But, the best part is that it was right on the ocean. We were on the bayside, just a short path to the water.

Since we had never been to Cape Cod, we visited many of the small towns up and down the cape. Just glancing through the car window, I fell in love with so many homes. Cedar shingles make any home look charming! Here are some of the cottages that surrounded our rental.

Many of the restaurants were also covered in cedar shingles. I loved how so many of the restaurants and retails stores were in homes. Provincetown has the feel of a remote fishing village, even though it’s a popular town for tourists.

We also visited the Provincetown Public Library. It’s in a beautiful building that was built in 1860 as the Center Methodist Episcopal Church. In addition to being a church it was also the Chrysler Art Museum.

Inside the library is a half-scale model of a fishing schooner, Rose Dorothea. It spans 66’6″ in length and has a 12’6″ beam. The picture doesn’t do this justice, it’s so large! It’s beautiful to see this vessel surrounded by books.

“They Also Faced the Sea” is an art installation at Fisherman’s Wharf in Provincetown. Large black and white images celebrate the Portuguese women who, “kept the culture alive, sang the songs, danced the dances, buried the dead, gave birth, cooked and kept the church at the center of their lives. Above all, they were resilient through good times and bad, their strength and courage easily matching and supporting that of their male seafaring counterparts.”

To find a rental in Cape Cod go here. To learn more about Cape Cod go here. Look for an upcoming post about Martha’s Vineyard!

Image Below: Sophistication abounds with a black and white decor scheme. All four of these pillows are Marimekko from Crate and Barrel. Marimekko is a Finnish company known for their bright and vibrant textiles in fashion and home design. Crate and Barrel has a long standing relationship with the brand. Top Left- The pattern of the Pienet Kivet Pillow was originally created by cutting paper circles with scissors. This classic design is $77. Top Right- The Frekvenssi Pillow was designed by Harri Koskinen and is $77. Bottom Left- The Pirput Parput Pillow translates to tiny truffles. The dotted design has been a classic since 1957 and cost $77. Bottom Right-The Pieni Unikko Pillow has been one of the most popular prints since it was designed in 1964. It’s available in a multitude of colors for $56.

Image Below: It’s 2013 and it’s safe to say if you put a bird on it you’re on trend. Top Left- This KAS Designs Bird Pillow can only be found online at Nordstrom for $39.99. The great thing about Nordstrom is they always have free shipping and free returns. Top Right- The Kensie Blossom Bird Pillow is also at Nordstrom for $34.99. Bottom Left- The CB2 Bird Pillow is sweet and simple and sports an orange backside. It’s available for $34.95. Bottom Right- The Valentina Ramos Bird in the Flower Pillow is from Kohl’s and can be had in four sizes from $44-$75.

And lastly, I love these modern pillows from Inhabit. If like me you can’t afford to invest in an Eames Chair, but you love the look, these pillows are for you! Show off your love for Charles and Ray with one of these pillows that feature a silhouette of their iconic designs. They’re available as pillows, pillow covers, and outdoor pillows ranging from $45-$62. The backside displays many of the styles. And, Inhabit ships for free over $50.